[J1 League Round 3] Shonan achieves first ever three consecutive wins at the start of the season! Defeats Urawa with bold attack

Shonan takes the lead with a furious attack

Shonan Bellmare will be using the same starting lineup for the first three games in a row, and will be aiming for victory with momentum.Attention will be focused on whether midfielders Naganuma Yoichi and Samuel Gustavsson can change the atmosphere on the team with their first start of the season.

Shonan went on the offensive from the very start of the match. Their winning streak since the start of the season is no joke. In the 11th minute, they launched an attack down the right wing. Forward Suzuki Akito received a pass from near the halfway line and passed it to midfielder Fujii Tomoya, who ran forward with one touch. Fujii dribbled into the penalty area. Forward Fukuda Shoki, who was weaving his way through the Urawa defense, received the pass and took a sliding shot, risking his life to shoot. The ball, which he hit with his foot in a desperate attempt, went just a few centimeters to the left of the post. Although it did not give them the lead, the aggressive attacking style that shone in the last two matches was still alive and well.

The bold offensive paid off and Shonan finally took the lead!

In the 25th minute, Shonan attacked again like a storm. Midfielder Fujii received the ball on the wide open right side, and advanced into the penalty area, passing to Fukuda. The shot hit the post, but it wasn't the end of it. Midfielder Suzuki Yuto picked up the loose ball near the right side and passed it to midfielder Onoe Kosuke on the opposite side. Onoe immediately took a volley shot, but this time it hit the body of the opposing defender and bounced back. The attack continued. Defender Suzuki Junnosuke won the ball in a tussle and moved from the left side to the right side. Suzuki Yu sent a soft cross in front of the goal, and Fukuda took a direct shot. The goalkeeper was unable to react and it went straight into the goal. It was his second goal of the season, bringing them closer to three consecutive wins at the start of the season.

Shonan created scoring opportunities with repeated attacks. Rather than launching routine attacks, they made aggressive side changes to confuse the defense and slipped through the cover of the opposing defense. With their aggressive and skillful attacks, they took control of the game.

Urawa earned a free kick in the 40th minute and created a chance. The cross was deflected by the opposing goalkeeper Kamifukumoto, but it reached defender Matsumoto who was waiting on the left wing. The cross was then passed around to defender Hoybraten, who evaded the cover and crouched down to head the ball, using his 184cm height. The ball rolled right in front of the opposing goalkeeper and did not score, but it showed their aggressive attitude. Then in the 42nd minute, Shonan created a chance from a corner kick, but failed to score. The game went into the second half with Shonan leading 1-0.

Shonan Gains Momentum vs Urawa Shows Their Spirit

Shonan's momentum continued in the second half. In the 48th minute, Onoe kicked the ball from a corner, sending it flying high towards the goal. Suzuki Akira was the first to jump and won a jumping contest with the opposing defender before firing a header into the goal. This was his second consecutive goal after the previous match against Cerezo Osaka, and it was a valuable goal that gave the team a big step towards victory. After that, Shonan scored a shot that looked like it might have been a third goal in the 52nd minute, but it was ruled offside. From this point on, the flow of the game finally began to shift in Urawa's favor.

In the 62nd minute, midfielder Matsumoto found space on the right wing, broke through and received the ball in a free space, then entered the penalty area and sent a grounder cross. Midfielder Genki Haraguchi, who was on the line, thought he would shoot, but it went through. Forward Santana, who was free to run in behind him, slid the ball into the goal with his left foot. This shot signaled a comeback, and was the second consecutive goal following the Kyoto Sanga match, bringing the team within one point of the lead.

Urawa instantly raised the ball from near the penalty area to the front line, and with quick passing, they passed the ball to the front of the goal without giving the opposing defense any room to maneuver. This, combined with a smooth strategy, created an environment with a high shooting success rate. However, Shonan's defense was tenacious. Urawa created a chance in the 87th minute, but they were unable to score against the Shonan defense, who were outnumbered and put their bodies on the line. They were unable to score any additional points in the four minutes of added time, and the game ended as it was. Shonan achieved three consecutive wins for the first time in the club's history.

From "Meiji Yasuda J1 League Highlights Shonan Bellmare vs Urawa Reds: Round 3"
*The information in the article is current at the time of publication.